Solar developer commits $5M to train 1,500 workers
A 5 MW community solar project by Dimension Renewable Energy in Franklin Township (Photo: Business Wire)
Dimension Renewable Energy, a community solar developer and operator, completed the commissioning of seven New Jersey community solar facilities and announced a multi-year pledge to invest $5 million in U.S. “green-collar” workforce development to train 1,500 solar professionals.
Dimension’s existing partnerships include local non-profits, high schools, community colleges, and adult education centers to deliver in-classroom solar installation instruction, hands-on basic solar construction skills, and OSHA safety certification.
In New Jersey, where Dimension announced 14 MW of new community solar projects, more than 50 individuals have participated to date in the company’s training and education programs. Program participants were also able to gain hands-on training at Dimension’s project sites, the company said.
GO DEEPER: Renewable Properties founder and president Aaron Halimi joined Episode 33 of the Factor This! podcast to discuss the future of community solar in California which, to date, has lagged behind other markets, despite the state’s role as a leader of the energy transition. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
The New Jersey projects are roof-mounted on industrial warehouses owned by landlords such as STAG Industrial and were developed in partnership with Black Bear Energy, an onsite renewable energy technology service firm. STAG Industrial said these projects are “only the start” of what the two companies will execute in the coming years.
In similar news, ComEd recently announced the first graduating class of the 10-week Power Up Academy, a new career training program launched in partnership with local workforce agency Revolution Workshop to prepare job seekers for entry-level technical-related roles to support the clean energy transition in Illinois.
With the clean energy transition poised to create as many as 150,000 new jobs in Illinois by 2050, ComEd says the training through the Power Up Academy is designed to boost the pipeline of talent for in-demand technical roles that will be needed to support the grid without requiring a college degree.
Over the course of the program, ComEd says participants gained industry knowledge, spatial aptitude, and skills working with AutoCAD, a computer-aided design software that is a typical qualification for entry-level technical roles supporting the grid, including but not limited to: design tech, project coordinator and permitting analyst. Through ComEd’s collaboration with its educational partner, the City Colleges of Chicago, participants also received the Certified Project Management Certificate.
